Two men dealt cocaine and cannabis out of a car in a Toby Carvery car park.
Michael Brandrick and James Donnelly were caught out when police spotted them sitting in a VW Tiguan in the car park of the Toby Carvery on Aigburth Road, Aigburth. The pub, formerly known as the Kingsman, was closed because of lockdown and the Tiguan was parked with its lights on and there was another car parked on the other side also with its lights on, said Claire Jones, prosecuting.
When officers approached their vehicle in a police van the driver, Donnelly, was seen looking at them “and he looked nervous and stressed.”
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While one officer spoke to him, his colleague spoke to Brandrick in the passenger seat. Ms Jones said: "He would not look at them and was looking at the floor. He was shaking and stuttering as he tried to converse."
Ms Jones told Liverpool Crown Court the car smelt of cannabis and when Brandrick, 30, was searched they found two wraps of cocaine in his jacket pocket and he had two clear bags in his waistband which contained 13 grams of the same drug. He also had £300 worth of cannabis and his mobile phone was vibrating while officers were talking to him and they seized it.
He was arrested and when strip searched at the police station a further four wraps of cocaine were found. Miss Jones said when his home was searched amphetamine for his own use was found and the total value of drugs seized was £1,700.
When Donnelly’s home was searched police found a red bag containing a rock and powder which turned out to be heroin worth £1,500. A bag of cocaine worth £2,070 was also found.
The phones of the two men were forensically examined and drug related messages were found.
Ms Jones said: “There were messages arranging meetings with clients at the Toby Carvery with the postcode. They were separately dealing to their clients."
Brandrick had pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply and possessing amphetamine. Donnelly admitted possessing heroin and cocaine with intent to supply. The offences occurred on January 4 last year.
Brandrick, of Dovedale Avenue, Eastham, and Donnelly, 37, of Arranmore Road, Mossley Hill, neither of whom have previous convictions, were both jailed for two and a half years. John Rowan, defending, Brandrick said he was self-employed in the building trade. He has two children, though not the biological father of one of them, and his partner is pregnant.
Mr Rowan said: “He is a hard working intelligent family man and he wants it known that he is utterly ashamed and disgusted with himself for engaging in the behaviour that has brought him before the court. He was using cocaine and cannabis and prioritised his finances in terms of his drug use rather than his family and became indebted to others.
"He felt under pressure and felt there was no other way out and resorted to peddling Class A drugs. It is clear from the messages he was street dealing, it was a drug he was addicted to.”
Mr Rowan said that as the breadwinner he did not want to ask his family for help with his debts which he regrets and since his arrest they rallied round and have cleared them off for him.
He added: "He is working seven days a week to support his family and repay the financial assistance that his family contributed."
Defence barrister Philip Tully said that Donnelly accepted only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate. He had become addicted to cocaine at a very difficult time in his life when suffering from depression.
Mr Tully said: “He ran up debts and began supplying to pay off his debts and then continued to pay for his own addiction.” Mr Tully said he had a good work record and supportive family and has been volunteering with the Royal Voluntary Service.
Sentencing them the judge, Recorder Richard Pratt, QC, told them: “Class A drugs are the scourge of society as you both know, as both of you in different ways for different reasons fell foul of drugs. Those who peddle those drugs knowing the consequences can expect nothing but severe treatment from the courts.”
